Her son Peter H. David told the Deanna Durbin Society newsletter that his mother had died several days ago, but did not give further details and thanked her fans for respecting her privacy.

By the end of the 1930s, Durbin had become one of the biggest box-office stars, appearing in several musical comedies and presented with a special Academy Award with Mickey Rooney, marking their "significant contribution in bringing to the screen the spirit and personification of youth".

She was said to have saved Universal from bankruptcy during the period, while she was also Sir Winston Churchill's favorite star. The Prime Minister would have access to her films before anyone else in the UK, and would allegedly celebrate military victories by watching her 1937 film One Hundred Men and a Girl.

Durbin quit the movie world at the height of her fame in 1949 - aged just 29 - and moved to France with her French third husband Charles David. At this point she was reported to have been the highest-paid woman in the world.

Among her film appearances were 1936's Every Sunday with Judy Garland, Three Smart Girls, It Started with Eve and Christmas Holiday.